The Way of The Warrior
by DeployJustice
Summary: Christmas presents and Purple Dragons? The personal code never prepared Leo for the journey ahead, but all is not lost as he makes a discovery within himself that he thought to be impossible. Warnings: AU universe, mostly based of 2003 and 2007 with a dash of 2016. With a small tease of the 2012 turtles. There will be OCs Minor swearing, mild violence and semi-mild "themes"
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: News for the Forgotten.

 _"In further news, the renowned scientist, Flynn Darkseid, has been jailed for illegal experimentations. Royal Enterprises, his employers, stumbled upon his horrifying lab nearly three days ago, finding underfed hostages and results of tests too explicit to show on television-"_

The news reporter looked into the camera as he gave his report, his voice echoed from the bright screen of the television and into the dark underground Lair.

There was a worn out leather couch situated in front of the screen, where heavy snoring resonated.

It was a strange sight to anyone who didn't know Michelangelo Hamato. Yes, the dashing, heroic, ninja extraordinaire spent his time playing video games and watching TV during 'off' days or when crime wasn't as prominent- especially during the holiday season of wintery goodness and most of all, Christmas!

But Michelangelo, or more commonly known, Mikey was much more than just a ninja of pure awesomeness, he was also a humanoid terrapin- or a mutant ninja turtle, if you wanted to be specific.

The bright green turtle hugged the couch pillow close to him as he mumbled into its feathery surface, a bit of drool streaked across his cheek and soon he was back to snoring loudly. His dreams were filled with pleasantries such as saving the damsel and flying across the city with his hero the Silver Sentry. Mikey twisted around, tangling himself in the his blankets before tumbling to the ground in a sudden woosh.

THUD!

"Gah! Dude..." Mikey sat up from his spot on the floor, rubbing his head. It was uncool that his dream got interrupted by his intrusive sleep. He rubbed his head and stood up, baby blue eyes glanced around as he focussed on the blaring screen of the television. Mikey slowly wiped the drool off his mouth and switched the tv off.

"What a bummer and I was having such an awesome dream too-" he yawned, stretched and gathered up his blanket before heading up the stairs of his sewer home. He could, perhaps, catch some shut eye back in his room.

The orange banded ninja silently trudged up to his room, holding his breath, if he woke up one of his brothers there would be serious shell to pay, and if there was one thing he didn't want early in the morning- it was a beat down by his ever-loving brother, Raphael. Mikey bumped his room door open and took a deep breath of the unearthly smell, his wonderful piece of art, his domain of solitude. Mikey dumped his blanket on his bed, which was littered with comics and junk food, and then prepared to take a swan dive into his warm goodness. That is until nature made her call- he blew up his cheeks and crossed his legs.

 _Too much Mountain Dew!_

With a yell and a whine he bolted for the bathroom, shutting the door with a bang.

Raphael jerked awake in his hammock, his golden gaze moved to his alarm clock, which has seen better days to be honest, and narrowed his eyes. He covered his head with his pillow and growled. Leave it up to Mikey to completely and utterly wake up everyone else with his need to pee.

The olive skinned turtle shut his eyes, trying to embrace the tired fogginess again, just attempting to sleep- only he couldn't as his room door opened and the hallway light flooded into his cozy room.

"Raph, wake up. It's nearly time for training-"

A snarl emanated from his throat as he sent his pillow flying at the door. It didn't take many guesses to know that the emerald turtle standing by his door was Leonardo, or 'Fearless' if you will.

"Very mature- only you missed me by a few inches. Just proves that you could use more practise."

Raph shot up, his eyes on fire, "It's too damn early in the friggin' mornin' fo ya shellin' arrogance! Go botha someun' else!"

His shout made his older brother wince a little before he rolled his eyes and walked off, "See you in the kitchen, hothead" Raph groaned and flopped back into the security of his hammock and blankets. Five more minutes won't kill them.

Leonardo Hamato, the head of the family and the leader of his four-brother team, shook his head as he made his way to the kitchen.

His eyes held worry and concern and fear as he headed over to the kettle. Flicking the switch he leaned down, nursing a headache- why his brothers had to be so difficult sometimes was beyond him but he couldn't imagine life without them. Which was why Christmas was the perfect opportunity for all of them to express their brotherly love with the exchanging of gifts and pleasantries. The season to be jolly, created a comfortable space for all of them not to feel their macho-ness is under attack. To Leo he could provide them all with gifts that showed he wasn't just the turtle with a stick up his ass.

Cerulean eyes directed their attention to the bubbling of the kettle, the noise made him forget his thoughts momentarily as he poured himself a steaming cup of Earl Grey tea, seeing as they were out of his preferred beverage, green tea. He lifted the delicate cup to his mouth and took a sip, relaxing his shoulders and feeling the pressure in his head fading away. He could now think clearly.

Leo moved from the kitchen to the old worn out dining table, he sat down and rolled out his shoulders, ready to start the day with a to do list. Casually he dotted down things to be do done.

 _Pre-training meditation._

 _Short but sufficient training session with guys._

 _Post-training meditation_

 _Wrap presents-_

 _Hide presents._

 _Let's see, new leather wraps for Mikey's nun-chucks and also the newest issue of Hellboy, at least I think it was Hellboy- if I'm wrong I have the proof of payment so he can just trade it. For Raph, I have a new punching bag alongside polish for his sais, he had been complaining about their state, hopefully he appreciates it._

 _For Donnie, knee and elbow pads, and-_

"Shell! I completely forgot to pick it up!" Leo smacked his forehead, how could he be so disorganized to forget his second gift for Donnie. April was most likely still holding it in her shop, since the mailing address was hers.

"What did you forget?" A curious voice came from across Leo and he saw his younger, purple wearing brother, Donatello, sit down with a fresh coffee in his hands.

His eyes merely widened in slight surprise, he had been so caught up in his thoughts he hadn't even heard Donnie come in.

Donatello, the genius of his crazy family, took a sip from his coffee and watched his brother Leo with peaked interest. It was rare that his brother looked so distraught and even slightly guilty. His red-brown eyes zeroed in on his brother before chuckling and drinking form his mug again. "It must be really bad if you look so surprised to see me." An amused smile formed on his face as he waited for Leo to answer.

Leo cleared his throat and tried to regain as much dignity as he could before Donnie found it in his abilities to bruise is already dented ego.

"I had a package to pick up from April's-" Leo admitted.

Donnie swirled his cup, "Oh? What is it?"

" It's none of your business, that's what it is." Leo sat forward, trying his best not to look like an idiot.

Donnie raised his brow, his older brother was known to be secretive now and then, but never good at lying directly to them, especially when he was caught red-handed. But, Donnie saw it fit to let him be. Whatever it was, the truth would be revealed soon.

"Alright-alright," he defended,"I won't bug you."

The leader of the odd band of brothers gave a curt nod and sat upright, before getting up. "I'll be in the Dojo, meditating. The three of you should be there in about half an hour." Donnie downed the last of his coffee and offered a more timid smile, "No problem, Leo. I have some wiring to do before our session anyway." He rose himself, the chair scraping on the ground. Donnie's eyes followed Leo as he disappeared from sight. What was that turtle up too-

 _Highly trained ninja and I can't even fool Donnie. Why does he have to be so- deducting. Here's the game plan, I will take them out on patrol tonight and then casually mention a game of ninja tag, then I would nominate Mikey to be the seeker, he gets distracted enough for me to break away and make a quick detour to April's place. Yes, I think that would do rather nicely._

Leo smiled to himself as he made his way to the Dojo, he really did impress himself sometimes. All he needed now was his thoughts to be cleared by his usual meditation session.

By tonight he could put his plan to use.

 **A/N: Not my first fanfiction, but definitely the first planned out one. This is book 1 of 4.**

 **Read and review.**

 **Don't own the turtles or Hellboy.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Eight Virtues coloured Purple.

 _Righteosness_

 _Courage_

 _Benevolence_

 _Respect_

 _Sincerity_

 _Honour_

 _Loyalty_

 _Self-Control_

 _These are the eight virtues of the Samurai. Even if I am a ninja and I follow codes closer to the Ninniku Seishen, to keep my heart pure and compassionate towards all enemies. I feel as if I must explore more of my culture background. All these virtues represent so much of what my brothers and I stand for-_

Leonardo rushed across the rooftops alongside his brothers, they had a near perfect patrol. They stopped three muggers, one robbery in progress and helped a punk on the streets to get back to his parents and stop wasting his life. He couldn't help but smile at the success of the patrol, it was as if they were finally being smiled upon from above- so to speak. Leo took a breath and the looked to his side where Raphael ran, his brother held an scowl and suddenly he felt his mood dissipate, what had gotten into Raph?

"Hey, what's gotten under your shell?" His blue eyes flickered with eagerness to know.

Raph watched his brother with a piercing amber gaze before he gave a grunt of dissatisfaction, "How do we know that punk kid wouldn't have jus' turned around' and gone back to stealin' money from people?"

The red-banded turtle was always one to bring up doubts. It wasn't that he lacked compassion, in fact his friendship with Casey had taught him many things, like taking the higher road. He just found it hard to understand that when they had someone captured- or on the run, that Leo had to sometimes try and prove his point that everyone needs mercy sometimes. Raph wasn't against mercy in the slightest. But, he did have his reserves for who it was meant for. Part of him didn't want to give that punk any chance, but Leo was for some reason in a good and- 'merciful' mood.

Leo looked at Raph, closed his eyes for a second and then sighed, "He was just a fourteen year old kid, we can't just beat him up and teach him a lesson. He doesn't know what he got himself into-"

"Odds are he never even knew what he got into in the beginning. Probably accidentally tried drugs for the first time, something moderate, like weed." Donnie's voice interrupted Leo.

Everyone stopped running and looked at him.

"What? I was only trying to be technical." Donnie defended.

Raph rubbed his face and threw his hands up in the air, looking extremely frustrated. "Great, let's get technical bout' somethin' serious."

Leo sighed and put his hands on his hips, collecting himself and mustering up his best scolding look.

"Ok, I understand that you don't agree with me, but it's not like I let the Shredder go. Remember. We killed him."

"Do I need ta bring up Karai-"

Mikey, who had silently watched this usual exchange, finally decided to pitch in.

"Oh no, he didn't." He pursed his lips and wagged his finger with slight sass.

The leader looked at him, irritated. "Thanks for your input, Mikey. Exactly what this conversation needed."

"You guys were getting all tense again, I was just trying to lighten up the mood-" Mikey pouted and folded his arms," Hey! Maybe we should play a game of ninja-tag, I'll totally be it." His baby blues shone as he tried to entice his brothers with a bit competition. Mikey might seem like the less intelligent one, but no one could deny his pure heart and how he just wanted his brothers happy.

Leo paused for a moment, sharing glances with the others, Raph looked ready to protest and Donnie just looked uninterested. He didn't forget that he still had to drop by April's. With a sly smile, he sent a challenging look Raph's way, which in turn made the Hothead square his shoulders, he was suspicious.

" Best idea all night, Mikey, we could all use a post-patrol reliever." Leo gave a nod in agreement before rolling out his shoulder. He gave Mikey a look and then smiled.

"Ok, you count to ten and then come looking for us."

"Awesome!"

Donnie's eyes widened and he looked at Leo, that was surprisingly odd behavior, usually Leo was the one who denied anything fun. His normal activities included things such as discussing their tactics afterwards at the Lair. Especially in winter. Leo was usually more concerned with their health. Mikey started counting and Donnie gave Leo a questioning glance, but the leader was already off. When he turned to explain to Raph that Leo has been acting aloof, he found himself alone in front of Mikey finishing his counting.

"Ten!" Mikey opened his eyes and and stared at Donnie for a few seconds, he blinked and sighed. " Dude, the whole point is that you hide."

 _Oh, really._ Donnie rolled his eyes.

 _No use being sarcastic with my brother. Wonder what Leo is up too-_

"Hellooooo- Earth to Donatello, dude c'mon, we gutta find the others man."

Mikey's eyes sparkled mischievously as he ran off with a spring in his step. Donnie blinked and then shook his head, smiling.

 _Mikey's happiness has always been infectious._

"Not if I find them first!" With his challenge raised, he unsheathed his bo and vaulted past his goofy little brother. Mikey laughed and and then let out a battlecry.

"Cowabunga!"

Leo laughed as he ran across the streets, the lights flew past him. His thigh muscles rippled under the pressure. But he felt free. With his brothers playing their game of hide an go seek, because really that's what it was, he could slip away. In these moments of his own mind he truly was himself. He grinned widely as he flipped up a vent and twirled in the air- time stopped. He was flying.

He watched the people, who were still about, bustling around. It was serene, it was his moment- but all good things came to an end and his feet landed on the ground, he skidded against asphalt before straightening and and continuing his trip to _Second Time Around_.

Leo reached out his hand, grabbing hold of a washing line and sliding down, landing unto a fire escape with surprising silence. He let out a sigh and his breath fogged up the window of April's top apartment. Before he knocked, he realized that he was staring at his reflection, with a slight tilt of his head he reached out. For a moment in his exhilarating freedom and hint of mischief he had forgotten that he was the leader of his brothers. The responsible-stick-in-the-mud that didn't now the meaning of fun. Leo dropped his gaze, his energy replaced with a cloud of darkness and self-loathing.

 _What was I thinking?_

Leaving his brothers out in the cold like this? Sure they wore jackets and scarves, but would that help if a blizzard struck? Leo scowled and finally knocked gently on the window. He saw the light flicker on and then rubbed his face. Now his only mission was to get Donnie's gift and regroup with his brothers.

April O' Neil, artifact hunter and reporter was an ordinary human woman with extraordinary friends. They had helped her in so many life or death situations that she felt she could never repay them enough. April quickly made it to her window in her very warm and very snug nightgown. With a bite of her lip and regret, she opened her window, immediately hissing at the icy air coming in.

"Hey, Leo, you do realize the window is unlocked right?" She buried her face in her sleeve, this cold was unbearable.

Leo coughed and then rubbed his head sheepishly, "Didn't want to seem rude. "

"Nonsense, I've known you guys for years, you can't possibly be rude. Besides, Raph comes here unannounced most of the time. Especially when it is to hangout with Casey when a game is on." April rolled her green eyes while stepping aside for him to enter.

Leo waved his hand dismissively. " Oh- no, not staying. Just here for Donnie's package. Sorry to disturb you this late."

April frowned, she could never understand Leo's ability to come across as business and no pleasure She gave him a sad smile, her heart always reached out to her four boys-

"Sure Leo, I'll get that package for you." April turned and headed for her living room, ginger hair disappearing behind the wall.

The package, that wasn't even that heavy, weighed in his hands like the burdens he carried on his shell. His forgetfulness and light-hearted mood could have very well landed his brothers sick in bed. Leo shook his head as his eyes swam with thought. He felt like he was doing the walk of shame, heading back at a slower more careful pace. What was he to do?

"Great, she's dead!" A voice echoed from a nearby alley.

"Shut up, Jed- " Pierced another man's voice.

Leo broke out of his thoughts and turned his head to the yells. Who was dead- He moved closer to the edge of the rooftop and looked down. His eyes widened, " Purple Dragons."

 **A/N: Firstly,I would like to thank Lady of Myths and Legends and QueenDivaReba for their reviews, it really warmed my soul. This chapter is a bit slow but I really wanted to work on the guy's bond. Also there will be more of April soon.**

 **I do not own the Turtles or ninja-tag, and the research I did on Bushido and Ninniku Seishen, is as accurate as I could manage.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: What's wrong with being Confident?

 _Over-confidence, births failure._

Linus was an average sized man, he had a wife and three beautiful girls at home. So, why would he be standing next to three other men, who was everything that he wasn't? Linus was a Purple Dragon, and proud of it. He joined the criminal circle for the same reasons his fellow thugs did. Money, reputation and the benefits. Sometimes, doing what you wanted seemed more tempting than doing what you needed.

Even though, with all things considered, every night as he donned his dragon tattoo he knew it might just be his last night. The trouble starts when one of their victims died or were murdered, there would be consequences. It was a sad sight, she was some poor innocent party-goer that had been flashing her wallet to them. How could they resist? Problem was, she was feisty and before Jed could threaten her, she made a run for it, tripping and it resulted in Jed's knife driving into her voluptuous chest. Hey, they wouldn't complain, this meant that there was no witnesses. Unfortunately, tensions between law enforcement and PD's were higher than ever.

Hun had given special orders to be more discreet. They just failed.

"Ok, I got an idea. We jus' stash the body-" It was his one of his brilliant colleagues speaking. Steve, the lanky dragon of the bunch. His logic needed to be judged with a pinch of salt.

Linus sneered at him. "Yeah and just delay the inevitable."

Linus liked to think that he was the sane one of his comrades. George, the not-all-there- one, smirked as he nudged Steve, " Like your coming out of the closet party."

Steve glared, " I am not- y'know what? That ain't important. What if we dumped it down the docks?"

Linus shook his head, they have been standing in this alley for nearly fifteen minutes, wasting time. He didn't like the dark, things happened to dragons in the dark. " I say we just get outta ere before the cops show. Jed, what are your thoughts?"

There was no answer.

Steve, Linus and George looked to where Jed had stood and found themselves instinctively inching closer to each other.

"Damn, I have a bad feelin' guys." Steve's voice was slightly shakey.

Blue eyes pierced the darkness from his safe spot in the comforting embrace of the shadows. Leo muffled the nose and mouth of Jed. The man struggled and tried his hardest to free himself from the ninja- it wasn't working. If only his teammates had noticed his disappearance earlier.

The leader in blue watched silently as the man breathlessly squirmed in his arms. He waited patiently as the man's eyes finally rolled back in his head. Jed slumped down in Leo's arms.

 _That wasn't fast enough. He's still alive- low lives like him make it hard not to murder almost instantly. But who am I to play God and decide whose life is to be taken? Even if they carelessly took this woman's life._

Leo dropped the unconscious Jed in front of his thug-buddies and dropped down, keeping himself hidden.

Steve screamed and fell back. Both Linus and George swore at him so he shut his mouth-

The sound of katanas rang in the air and before Steve or anyone could express surprise, George was gone, his weapon clattering to the ground. Linus pointed his pistol in the direction instantly.

"Who's there!?" His eyes were wide.

 _Two down, two to go._

If they didn't make a run for it now it would be the end of the line.

"You will pay for your crime-" Leo's voice cut through his obscurity, in his throat there was a slight growl resonating. Linus jumped slightly before grabbing Steve by the back of his collar.

"Move your ass!" They both tried to make a sudden escape, but Leo wouldn't have it. His foot connected with the gut of Steve,sending the man into the nearest brick wall. Steve yelled out out as he collapsed, sliding down. His eyes flickered and soon his vision was swimming- all he could see was the silhouette of a beast, a horrifying beast.

"Don't-" he begged, " I give..." The dragon groaned and his head drooped forward. Steve's world went black.

Linus breathed out, holding his pistol to the back of the figure, he was trembling- he had a wife and kids. They've heard enough stories about these green monsters to know his chances were slim. His gaze moved over at Steve- He couldn't fail his fellow dragons, his finger moved over the trigger and he shot.

Time slowed and Leo stepped out of the way, the bullet hit the wall beside him the brick crumbled and the sword sang in the air. There was clink as the barrel of the gun was sliced in half cluttering to the ground.

Linus blinked, he couldn't believe how fast the thing had moved. In barely a second his only defense was stripped away from him.

"What are you?"

"Your worst nightmare."

 _Corny one liner, I thought I outgrew this? Guess not._

Leo considered himself a patient and controlled soul- but when he witnessed something as horrifying as men discussing what to do over someone's body, he nearly lost grip over himself. He stepped out the darkness, his hands were clasped around the shirt of a struggling George. The poor sap had come to just as his last buddy, Linus, was knocked out with the hilt of a blade. Leo shoved George down and held his katana by the man's neck.

" I will see to it, that you and your unconscious 'friends' here spend a long time in jail."

George lifted his chin and then spit at Leo's feet. " You freaks think you're all that."

Leo's eyes flashed with anger, he felt tempted to slit this man's throat. Raph was wrong about him, just because he never killed anyone didn't mean he never wanted to disembowel every overconfident criminal he came in contact with. It was only because he chose to take the less traveled road that he had less blood on his hands.

But bloody they still were- it was a constant in his mind- in his soul.

"Scum."

With a well placed pressure point, and his last word said, he watched the man's eyes roll to the back of his head and thud down. Leo sheathed his blade and took a calming breath.

 _I hate this, dealing - with death and all the ugly that humanity throws into the world. How could the same people who believe in love also be forces of destruction and corruption?_

Leonardo turned to the corpse of the woman, he slowly bent down and bowed his head in respect to her death. She probably never expected to die tonight.

The heel shot out, aiming to plunge itself deep into his skull. Leo choked in surprise as his reflexes kicked in, he was grateful for said reflexes otherwise he would have had the woman's shoe ebbed into his eye, The blue banded ninja jerked to the woman on the ground, he gaped as he stared into stormy grey eyes. She breathed heavily then snarled, this time launching her fist towards him. He shifted out of the way and twisted her ankle, flipping her over. She cried out, cursing and spluttering. Leonardo was completely flabbergasted as he gawked at the presumed dead woman. In fact- she looked 100 percent to him.

"Let me go ya freak of nature, I swear I'll kill ya and ya buddies!" Her voice came out in a sudden sharp tone, it was filled with hate and huffs. The woman braced herself against the asphalt, her palms digging into the dirty gravel, she tried to squirm out his tight grip.

" Deformed piece of garbage! My boys shoulda-!"

Leo regained his senses and pressed her knee to the ground, keeping her trapped against the ground on her stomach.

"ACK!"

He needed answers, if she escaped he wouldn't get them.

Raellyn Jackson panted as she gritted her teeth, the plan had failed. Her boys screwed up, they were supposed to be a distraction, not bloody get themselves wiped out by an over-sized freak! Hun will have her head. To make her night even worse the target, the mutant- had her pinned to ground. It was obvious by now that this had been all a set up, through the miracles of fake blood she had created her horrific scene.

"Tell me-" Leo asked darkly, "-why aren't you dead?"

"I ain't no expert in science but isn't it cause m'heart is still beatin?" Rae replied with snark.

He didn't appreciate her tone, they deceived him. Falsifying death is spineless and cowardly, something as precious as life should be cherished, not taken lightly. It was clear to him, that this woman before him was a purple dragon, and since she referred to these thugs as 'hers' he could only assume she wasn't just a petty criminal- this whole set up was too planned out for just any ordinary Dragon. It didn't work, but there was somewhat brains behind it.

Rae stared at the ground, this was just a little embarrassing , her training and preparation just proved that she wasn't ready to rise up to challenge of the thorns in Hun's side. With a growl and a huff she shut her mouth, refusing to answer anymore questions. She'd let him win, this time- jail would only hold her for a small while.

Leo sighed as he climbed up the fire escape, the sirens rang in the background. He had tied up the woman and set her right next to her men. Her pride made it impossible for him to extract any more information from her. He didn't bother to learn her name, or why she tried to " capture" him. It seemed like she had independently set it up. As if she had something to prove- he knew it made her sour and that was why he got the sudden colder shoulder. Leonardo checked his phone and swore silently, a rare occasion, but every second he spent dealing with the criminals had made his little side trip for a Christmas present extend past the planned time. His brothers were going to flip their shells. It was out of character behavior for him.

 _To be honest- I haven't felt right in awhile...why?_

 **A/N: Oh my shell, this chapter was diffcult, it was so necessary but I rewrote it like three times. Then life was slightly busy. But- all I can say is thank you for the favourites and reviews and follows. It makes me happy that you enjoy this story. In future I will try my best to update more. I have four turtles to get through.**

 **DaLadyofSouls thank you, I try to study my turtle psyche.**

 **Finally, I do not own the turtles or Hun,**

 **But Linus, Steve, George, Jed and Rae is mine- and a friend's.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: I Don't Have Too See You Right Now

 _When the sword of rebellion is drawn, the sheath should be thrown away._

~John Singleton Copley

There was a low hum in the Lair, the sound radiated from Donatello's complicated computer setup. It was in the right corner of the living area, always kept on sleep mode- in case of emergencies. Donnie always kept busy during the holiday season, he always felt the need to work. Most of the time it was on antidotes, medicines, machines, gadgets and importantly big projects like the Shellraiser or the T-plane.

It was never a dull moment in the Lair, there was always something happening in the lives of the terrapins.

Leonardo rubbed his face as he stepped into their home, his brothers trailed behind him and they weren't happy. To be fair, no one would be- he had lied and diverted suspicions; he also took longer with his side-trip than initially planned. It wasn't that he had done something wrong, just that he had done it in a very dishonest way. Leo looked over his shoulder as he hung up his blades.

 _They are eerily quiet, Raph looks angry but he hasn't said a word while Mikey isn't even cracking a joke- Donnie looks like he has a million questions to ask. Where were you? I was getting your Christmas present, which I may have forgotten about, April said that this battery would make your life easier. Did you get hurt? No, but my pride did, I got tricked into thinking someone died-_

Raphael glared at the back of his brother's head, he didn't really know how to react, they weren't kids anymore so Leo can go off on his own. Why did he feel so angry then? Maybe it was the way Leo did it, out of character and – shell he didn't know. For nearly an hour he had disappeared, but why? Maybe if he just asked calmly, he'd get to the bottom of it.

"So, Leo what was wit' tha disppearin' act?" Raph crossed his arms, standing to the side slightly.

Mikey looked up at Raph, it had been so weird for him when he couldn't find Leo. It shouldn't have taken as long as it did, for a few seconds he had feared for the worst, which was totally stupid. Threats like Shredder were long gone and the PD's were layin' low after Hun lost his "Master". It had been easy to find Raph, the guy had no patience, and a few well-placed taunts could always draw him out. At first, he wasn't concerned, Leo was ace at ninja-tag. After fifteen minutes they were all silently getting frustrated, it wasn't like Leo to milk it so long that he was better than them- by the half n' hour mark they were getting worried. It wasn't the first time one of them had gotten captured like this. When an hour had passed, the worries increased, Donnie had called Leo and it went straight to voicemail. Next step was tracking-

Leo sighed, facing his hotheaded brother, he could just come clean and deal with the embarrassment, it would be the best strategy, " I had forgotten Donnie's Christmas present at April's, so I created a brilliantly crafted plan to go pick it up amidst our game, "Leo explained with a wave of his hand, "The intention was to slip in and out, as if I never went off. Unfortunately there was a slight problem on the way back as I got caught up with some Purple Dragons."

" Dragons? Thought they were layin' low afta Shredda died..." Rah frowned and when he focussed on Leo again, his brother was heading to the kitchen, conversation over.  
"Ey' we're still talkin'!" Raph followed Leo and put his hand down by the kettle, Leo looked up and studied Raph's eyes, " I know- I know, just getting some tea."

"Why didn't ya call us? I mean ain't we ya backup?" Raph said through gritted teeth, he wasn't trying to start an argument. He had to keep his temper reigned in.

Leo shrugged, " You are, but there weren't a lot of them so I just made the call to leave-"

" Oh ,ya made a call?! Course ya friggin' did!"

Leo stopped making the tea and sighed, he didn't feel like arguing, or being the older brother right now. Something was wrong with him, he didn't feel right.

 _There's a disturbance in the Force...Shell, I have problems._

" You're right Raph, I made a bad and inconsiderate call. Excuse me." Leo picked up his tea and with an apathetic stare he headed out the kitchen and into the privacy of his room.

Raph blinked a few times, did Leo just say he was right? He looked over his shoulder at his younger brothers, they were just as confused as he was.

Donatello sat in front of his computers, deep in thought. Leo's behaviour has been random since Splinter's death, not to make lightly of the event, but Leo was head of the household now. They were in their early twenties, there was still a long road to walk together. Just because their old enemies weren't around anymore doesn't mean they're supposed to forget their code- their job. But with Christmas around the corner, maybe it was hard to be a "crime fighting hero". As Mikey would put it.

Donnie rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath, even if Leo's goal was his Christmas gift, the manner by which he attained it, was out of place for their serious leader. It was as if his adolescent years were only starting to kick in now. They all went through rebellious phases, but now it seems, with Splinter gone. Leo had no one to be obedient to anymore. Don sat back and swiveled in his chair, it could be that Leo was having an identity crisis. They shouldn't ignore this development….Leo would need their help, if it is true, more than ever.

Leo smiled as the music played in the background, it was a nice time for the four of two days later, everything was somewhat reverting back to normal. But to Leo, something still felt off and he could not understand what that was. The blue-banded turtle lifted a red decorative ball from a box of old stuff and chuckled at the crudely painted name. He and Raph were decorating the tree.  
"Hey, Raph- would you look at this?" the blue banded turtle held it up to his brother, who merely rolled his eyes. "Shell, I rememba' when Sensei made us paint those." Raph took it from Leo and turned it around in his hands, some emotions surfacing. This would be the second Christmas without their father. His amber eyes flickered before he cleared his throat and hung it up. Leo stood next to him, the sudden cheer gone, they did really miss their father, his death was part of the reason why they decided to finish off Shredder the year before. It was a unified decision to finally avenge Hamato Yoshi. Who lost his wife to the evil clutches of that monster…

Leo took a breath before clapping his hands together, trying to break the somber mood, "Wonder how far Mikey is with the cookies? April said she'd come by later to help him with the icing."  
Raph was still staring at the glass ball, "Yeah-he promised I could eat out tha bowl."  
"Like you do every year. I'm going to go check on him, you just finish decorating the tree." With a last pat on the shoulder, Leo headed off to the kitchen. What greeted him was a variety of smells such as vanilla, cinnamon and maybe even ginger. The smell that stood out, above all the others was the jasmine and thai. Leo came to stand by a tray of Christmas tree shaped cookies, a sad smile forming in the corners of his mouth. "These were his favorite."

"Gah!" Mikey turned around from checking on another batch, hand on his heart. "Dude! Totally uncalled for, man. I mean couldn't you see I was in my zone, bro? "  
"A ninja should always be prepared." Leo retorted with some amusement. Mikey was still such a child at his ripe age of 22. His younger brother groaned and hung his arms,"A true chef must always be focussed on his craft, bro. Unlike you, you're not even allowed in the kitchen. Does Donnie know you're here?"  
Leo rubbed his neck and shook his head, "Unfortunately- or rather fortunately he does not."  
Mikey narrowed his gaze and put his hands on his hips with some sass, "You better not set anything on fire, I mean you can't even boil water."  
"I can make tea, with a kettle. No need to over-exaggerate it so." Leo straightened and crossed his arms," Why all of you have to act like I can't cook, I can't even begin to understand."

Mikey chuckled and shrugged, "Must be after the toaster-related incident. "  
Leo rubbed his face,"Thanks for reminding me. I'm going to check on Donnie, he'll be better company. "  
"Aw, c'mon Leo. Don't be so shellhurt."

Leo rolled his eyes and walked out.

Donnie hummed along to the classic Christmas song in the background. 'Silent Night' might be exclusively for humans to understand, and it did drive him nuts, all these jollies and decked halls. But it was catchy. No one could deny that the sheer repetitive ear-sores weren't the pinnacle of the human jolly season. He was currently hanging up the fairy lights in the Dojo, checking each one, because God forbid any of his brothers tried to do this task. Three years ago Mikey nearly blacked out the entire district, and they don't talk about Raph's unique methods. Donnie stood on the ladder, still humming, until he picked up footsteps in their training sanctuary. Without turning,he smiled. "Come to check on me, big brother?"  
Leo chuckled,"Glad someone in this house still have their senses tuned."  
Donnie dusted off his hands and climbed down the ladder. "Was that a compliment?"  
"Yes, yes it was. I can give compliments you know." Leo rubbed his neck,"You wouldn't mind if I meditated for awhile would you?"  
Donnie shrugged,"As long as you don't mess around with the fairy lights, I couldn't care less"

Leo smiled and headed over to his mat, he plopped down and breathed through his nose. He helped them with the decorations. They could leave him be. With a mutter and lighted incense, he set ablaze a lone candle, this was how he got his answers and cleared his busy mind.

Donatello shook his head, studying his older brother before gathering up the ladder and heading out, greeting Raph in the living area.

 _Breathe in, breathe out.  
This isn't the same without Splinter.  
Breathe in, breathe out.  
I cannot focus, it's like my soul lay dormant inside the pit of despair I have let myself fall into.  
Breathe in, Breathe out._

Leo opened his eyes, frustrated that he broke concentration. Scolding himself he sat straighter and closed his eyes again.

 _Failure, you'll never be what Splinter wanted. Forever you'll be nothing but a disappointment. No matter how hard you struggle, you'll never be a true ninja. Pray your little prayers young kappa, but know this if you let your morals get in the way, a ninja you will never be._

With a gasp Leo flinched back, away from the candle. It flickered in the darkness and soon he realized the whole Lair was quiet- how long was he in meditation? Leonardo stood up and held his head, longer than he should have been. His blue eyes flickered as he picked up the candle and walked across the Dojo, stopping in front of a shelf with a picture of all of them. He picked up the photo-frame and stared at it for a few seconds, before setting it down.

 _"Leonardo- "_

"Who's there?" he spun around, a voice had startled him. It sounded dark, menacing.

" _The sword of your master calls."_

"What sword?" Leonardo waved the candle around, lighting up the shadows. There was nothing.

 _"Over there- "_

He felt cold. Suddenly, a gust of wind moved past him. It directed his attention to a shelf, one he never noticed was hidden behind the weapons rack, illuminated for him. Leonardo walked forward reaching out, it was then that his hand found a sword, a blade that looked crafted to perfection. His blue eyes widened as he held the piece towards the candle light. It was magnificent, more beautiful than he had ever seen, the katana seemed flawless.

 _But how does it sound?_

He set down the candle and grasped the katana in both hands, slicing it across the air. Leo's breath caught in his throat, the sound it made- the purity of the ring. It was music to his ears.

 _How long has this blade been hidden here? Did Sensei- know about this?_

 **A/N: Busy with college life. Not much I can say, other than it was a 1000 more words than all the other. Hope this chapter makes it up to whoever reads this.**

 **Update: Fixed some grammar issues.**

 **Thanks for all the reviews and favourites and follows, warms my heart. Chapter 5 is a working process.**

 **Do not own the quote, or turtles. Duh.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Say Your Prayers

 _"The first of the swords was by all accounts a fine sword, however it is a blood thirsty, evil blade, as it does not discriminate as to who or what it will cut. It may just as well be cutting down butterflies as severing heads. The second was by far the finer of the two, as it does not needlessly cut that which is innocent and undeserving." Monk to Muramasa and Masamune, the sword masters._

Raellyn Jackson marched out the police station, seething as her men followed her out. They failed, and not even by a little- she could kill someone! She checked over her shoulder as they headed for the van waiting out back. Hun hated using his resources for dragons who didn't deserve it. Rae had an inkling they were in for hell once they got to the warehouse. The van, black and moderately inconspicuous, was standing under the cover of the station. If it weren't for the corruption in the law enforcement, they'd be in deep-

"Boss, we're real sorry." came the voice of her normally skilled member Linus. As if a sorry would magically fix the fact that she got her ass handed to her by a grotesque freak of nature, with martial arts skills.

"Don' wanna hear it…."

Rae was pissed, her skin crawled with agitation when she opened the door of the van and greeted Tiny. Big man, few words- wicked smile. She rubbed her face and leaned on the dashboard, not caring if her boys, her men, got in or not. By the end of this day she was going to be nothing but a whisper on the streets.

 _Built up my friggin' reputation fo nothin'! How the hell did weeks of plannin' an trainin' turn into such a screw up!?_

Tiny grunted, starting the vehicle and taking off, he was ordered by Hun to give Rae a chance to redeem herself. Having paid her bail, Hun wanted something in return for his kindness. A rare kindness indeed.

Rae sat back, breathing out as she watched traffic passing by, her story was a simple one. Teenager gone bad when mommy and daddy didn't understand her needs and wants. She rolled her eyes and slumped her shoulders. This gang business was too risky for mistakes, and this wasn't her first mistake.

"The boss has a target fo' ya." Tiny's voice cut through the silence and Rae raised a brow, sending him a side-glance. "Who?"

Tiny didn't answer. It was for her to figure out and plan. It finally occurred to Raellyn that they weren't heading to the warehouse, but instead one of the Dragon owned clubs. She held her breath, of course Hun had this in plan for her. All he ever wanted to use was her body. She was curvy, muscular and her bust size wasn't exactly subtle. Ever since she was a teenager she struggled to be taken serious, people normally always wrote her off as a whore- and men, the bad ones, always fell in love with her set, before they realized her personality was overbearing. Rae bitterly crossed her arms, she was still in her dress from the night before, so this coordinated perfectly. It wasn't that she complained about her figure, she used it to its fullest potential, and the benefits far outweighed the cons. But, it meant that making a good impression in interviews for universities, or jobs, always had her second-guessing why they wanted her. Her skills, academic wise, was in words, lacking.

But life is life, and she was in the Purple Dragons now, using her assets to climb the ranks was her only goal in life.

"Where did you find it again?" Donatello was sitting at his desk in the corner of the living room, using his goggles to inspect the sword that his older brother had stumbled on mid-meditation. Meditation, a subject he chose to leave up for interpretation. They always did it as kids, but when they headed into their teens the urgency was less acquired of certain members of the family. So the only turtle who kept it up was Leo. Which means, when his older brother claims that meditation revealed the sword to him, Donnie was just a bit skeptical. Only slightly.

Leo sighed impatiently, "For the fifth time, behind the shelf by the weapons rack, Donnie. Clearly Sensei kept it there."

Donnie could see the slight twitch in his brother's eye. It seemed that the late night meditation had tired him out. "Leo how long were you meditating, exactly?"

 _Doctor mode activate._

Leonardo frowned and rubbed his forehead, "I don't know, I planned on meditating only two hours, when I woke up, it was well into the night already."

Donnie stood up and removed his goggles,"You don't normally zone out- what happened can you remember?"

Leo pursed his lips, in the past when he had told them of his "trips" they had laughed it off as mumbo jumbo. He glanced over at the sword, and shook his head, "Just tell me if you can identify the sword, Donnie."

Donnie blinked, slightly surprised that his brother evaded the question like that. He pulled a book from the shelf and opened it,"Fine fine- looking at the craftsmanship, and the way the hilt is designed. It looks to be similar to the style Muramasa made his swords. You know the sword maker that was part of that story Sensei used to tell us? The one where he challenged his master and it turned out that the swords he created were bloodthirsty blades that are only satisfied once they spilled blood-"

Leo tapped his foot, annoyed, "Yes Donnie, I am aware of the story, and the look of the blade, but the hilt reminds me more of his master, Masamune, which is impossible-"

Donatello inspected the sword again and nodded, "Historians speculate that Masamune and Muramasa lived too far apart to ever have been mentor and student. It could just be an imitator."

Leo nodded, "Could be- "

Silence hung in the air, for awhile Leo was caught in thought until Donnie decided to break the silence.

"So, the question on all our minds is- Why did Sensei have it and why was it hidden?"

Leo sighed and massaged his temples," It's what I was wondering about too- But my mind is a befuddled mess right now. "

Donnie gave him a slight nod and picked up the blade, staring at it before holding it out to Leo. "Why don't we skip training today and you go recuperate. Tonight we can head over to April's and see what she has to say about it. Afterall, she does specify in artifacts. "

"But-"

"Leo as your brother, I am concerned for you, it's as if you just aren't on the same plane as me right now. And as your doctor I say, go sleep." Donnie patted Leo's shoulder slightly and turned back to his work.

Leo walked into his room, pulled of his mask and set the sword on his dresser. He'd find a place for it as soon as he can. But Donnie was most likely right about sleeping. He was spiritually exhausted. The emerald turtle dropped down on his neatly made bed and moved his head unto his pillow, closing his eyes and not noticing the flicker of a purple aura on the blade of mystery.

The music blared, blasting through the speakers as warm bodies were pressed together in a hormone fueled mess. The club was booming in its full glory, with lasers and multi-coloured lights. The stage was littered with dancers, most of them selling out their their bodies, it was the way these things worked, you either consumed the drugs and alcohol, or you dealt it. It was the law of streets and the law of the clubs. Rae rested back against the bar, a bottle of beer in her hand as she downed it. Her soul belonged to Hun, she was one of his angels so to speak- when he said roll over she had to ask how much. And he said seduce and kill she had to say how far-

Raellyn took another sip of her beer, she was well into her third beer and the so called "target" hasn't shown his ugly face yet. She assumed he was ugly, previous clients were rich, pompous and gluttonous corporate pigs. Their grimy hands would feverishly seek her curvaceous body- she usually had them dead before they got too comfortable, it was always slow and painful for them. They did not deserve mercy- countless girls were victim to their ….desires. Rae was just not going to be one of them.

"Well, well, look who the cat dragged in." His dark eyes smoothed over her skin, taking in the strapless black dress with slight hunger.

Rae narrowed her gaze, Jayden Pierce, handsome- charming and about as trustworthy as a fox. Her lip curled as she downed her beer, setting it down the empty bottle, before facing him. "What ya want, Jay?"

Jayden raised a brow and smoothed his brown hair back before holding his neck and smirked, "Rae, sweetheart, all I want is you."

She blinked and lowered her gaze, poking his chest. "Oh yeah? Then explain ta me how Raven landed up down there- Pierce."

He chuckled darkly, putting his hand around her waist, pulling her towards him,"I made a mistake, Kitty-" he whispered by her ear.

Rae's eyes widened and she shoved him away, "Screw off ya bastard! Don' ya touch me-!"

Jay scoffed,"You think because Hun gave ya a second chance, ya can order me around, Rae?" he grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. Grey eyes turned stormy as she stared directly into his empty orbs. "I made ya- ya would be nothin' witout MY word to Hun!"

She gasped and pulled her face away," Jackass!"

He clenched his fists, before visibly calming down, "Alright- let's talk some place more….private."

She shouldn't have followed him, she should have stayed in the loud, obnoxious environment of the club. And yet, there she stood outside in the alley, rubbing her arms as he lighted a cigarette. "I'm sorry, Rae. Honest- Raven was jus a quick little fling." His arm was at the side of her head, he blew the smoke away from her before offering her the cigarette. Rae eyed him suspiciously before taking it from him, taking a long drag.

"You know my heart belongs to you, Kitty-" he whispered to her.

The smoke came out her nostrils as she exhaled impatiently,"Empty words, Pierce. We've been around this bush before. An every time I end up wit' tha' short end of stick."

He chuckled and took the lighted cancer stick from her, "I know, but tonight's different." dropped it and stepped on it. "Yeah? How….?" Rae questioned, still suspicious of his intentions. "Tonight, I'll make it up to you-" He leaned down and took her chin in his hand again, smoothing over her lips with his finger.

Rae was failing, this was her weakness- she wish she knew how to break his spell.

"Jay-"

Their lips were inches apart and before she could speak again, he was kissing her.

 _No, what are ya doin' Rae? Ya idiot- don' let him do this to you again._

There was a time, she thought she was in love, that he would be her prince charming. Her hands wrapped around his shoulders, as he smoothed his hand under her thighs, pressing her against the wall. Jay kissed down her jaw, before brushing his lips across her neck. Rae gripped his shoulders, biting back the gasp. He smirked arrogantly and trailed his mouth back up to hers, stopping momentarily, "I still know all your spots- "

Rae glared at him, smashing her mouth into his, shutting him up. He had no right! He didn't control her- the fight for who was on top continued, she hated to love him. Yes, there was a time she believed in love, the time before she lost her innocence to this asshole.

A time before she kept crawling back to him like a lost puppy because she knew no one else other than him when she wasn't playing Hun's little whore….

Rae pulled away, breathing heavily, her chest rising up and down, his hands roamed over her and she suddenly felt angry. Heartbroken- used and abused. "How- could ya-?" she demanded coolly.

Jay stopped and looked up, rolling his eyes, "What now? "

She put her hands on his chest and shoved him back with all her force, " I don't want this anymo!"

Rae marched away from him, embracing the polluted cold air, glad to have space.

Her back was turned to him, she stared at her hands, questioning everything. This was about climbing to the top, not having angry, pointless sex with Hun's second in command!

Rae turned, "I'm sick of ya! Ya don' jus march up ta me like ya own me!"

Jayden put his hands on his hips, stretching out, "Why do ya do this every time I just want a bit of that asset that Hun likes to use as he pleases? Haven't you realised yet, Rae? Ya really are nothin' ta tha Dragons than a bitch to be fu-"

The slap echoed off the alley walls, Rae snarled, "Ya listen ta me ya piece of shit! I spent years- YEARS- buildin up MY reputation. An every time I get close ta that goal ya show up, sweet talkin' me till ya get me in bed. It's ya way of controllin' me!"

Jay held his cheek, it was burning, but not as much as his temper. "Ya a failure, Rae. No one cares bout ya- not even ya own family does! Ya eitha accept that or I kill ya!"

She jerked back, her eyes widening, it hit her like a ton of bricks. He was the target, but that made her…..his target.

"I don't understand."

Jay laughed dryly as he clenched his fist, "Ya so desperate ta climb the top that you don't even realise how expendable ya really are."

The barrel of the gun was pressed to her forehead, why hadn't she seen him pull it out? She kept staring at him. How had she missed it? How did she keep missing these things.

"I really thought ya'd put up more of a fight, Rae. Really- thought ya were smarter than this." His grin was twisted as he switched the safety off, "You've always been a dumb bitch. "

Rae snapped out of her daze, grabbing his wrist and pointing the gun upwards as he pressed the trigger, the shot nearly deafened her, but she had to keep moving. Her heel met his gut as she shoved it in there with force.

Jay yelled out, dropping the gun and clutching his stomach where the deadly shoe was embedded in.

"That's for screwin me!" Rae turned and ran for it, heading out the alley and into the street, hailing a cab.

She wasn't going to be anyone's pawn ever again.

 **A/N: Thanks for the patience, here's another chapter. You guys get to know more about the sword and Rae.**

 **Thanks for the favourites, views and reviews...**

 **Don't own the turtles, or Dragons. But definitely own Jayden Pierce and Raellyn Jackson.**

 **Um, not sure how accurate the story of the swords are, but I did look up a few resources so we'll see.**

 **Next Chapter has a big reveal...**

 **Will go back to Leo and his brothers soon.**

 **Finally tell me if rating should change or not.**

 **R &R**


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